2023-10-23 12:16:50
Princess Astrid of Belgium begins one of her usual economic missions. The sister of King Philippe, who ensures this type of trip as a representative of His Majesty the King of Belgians, began her trip to Australia with an official welcome in Sydney, then a visit to the Barangaroo metro. She made the visit just following attending a traditional smoking ceremony. Princess Astrid will visit Sydney and Melbourne over the coming days.
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Princess Astrid’s economic mission to Australia begins
Arriving shortly before 11 p.m. on October 20, 2023, Princess Astrid, 61, was left with just under two days to acclimatize. On October 22, an official welcome was reserved for the sister of the King of the Belgians, late in the followingnoon, in the presence of the director of the Four Seasons hotel in Sydney and Michel Goffin, Belgian ambassador to Australia. It was not until October 23, around 9 a.m., that the real welcome by the Australian authorities took place. The welcome ceremony took place at Admiralty House, the residence of the Governor-General of Australia, David Hurley. The economic mission will end on October 27 in Melbourne.
Princess Astrid of Belgium poses in the garden of Admiralty House with Governor-General David Hurley and his wife Linda (Photo: ABACAPRESS)
The Governor-General is the representative of the British sovereign in the Commonwealth realms. David Hurley has represented Queen Elizabeth II since July 2019 and today he represents King Charles III. Princess Astrid signed the residence’s honorary book, then following taking a tour of the garden, she was able to take a souvenir photo with the famous Sydney Opera House in the background. Princess Astrid is accompanied on this trip by Belgian Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Labib, as well as a minister from the three regions of the country. Brussels is represented by its President Rudi Vervoort, Flanders is represented by its Minister of the Economy, Foreign Trade, Research and Innovation Willy Borsus, and Flanders is represented by its Minister of Finance and Budget, Matthias Diependaele.
Princess Astrid sitting in a boat to reach Brangaroo, next to Foreign Minister Hadja Labib and the three ministers Rudi Vervoort, Willy Borsus and Matthias Diependale (Photo: ABACAPRESS)
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Visit to Barangaroo MRT Station following the Smoking Ceremony
After the official welcome, Princess Astrid was expected outside the entrance to Barangaroo metro station. She got there by ferry. The Barangaroo district is one of the last places still marked by Aboriginal life. The area was densely inhabited by Aboriginal people before the arrival of British settlers in Australia. The last bastion of Aboriginal life, Barangaroo is considered a “district in rehabilitation”. About 20 years ago, the New South Wales government decided to modernize the area by developing commercial spaces, offices and leisure areas. The area is also included in the new large-scale transformation of Sydney Metro.
Princess Astrid arrives at the Barangaroo metro station, the construction of which was partly entrusted to the Belgian company BESIX (Photo: ABACAPRESS)
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Arriving at the metro, a traditional ceremony first awaited the princess. A traditional smoking ceremony was performed according to the ancestral ritual of the natives. The smoking ceremony is a purification ritual performed on special occasions, such as births, rites of passage, deaths, or welcoming strangers. The smoke purifies the body, the soul and chases away evil spirits.
A traditional smoking ceremony took place in front of the metro station (Photo: ABACAPRESS)
BESIX Watpac, a subsidiary of the Brussels construction and real estate group Besix, won the contract for the construction of the Barangaroo metro station. The Belgian company provided, among other things, the underground platforms, all the furniture and the entrance to the station. The station, scheduled to open to travelers in 2024, also pays homage to rich indigenous culture.
The morning ended with a lunch organized by the Belgian Business Federation and the European Australian Business Council to give Belgian business leaders the opportunity to meet Australian businessmen. Princess Astrid presented an award to Jason Collins, CEO of the European Australian Business Council and Honorary Consul of Belgium in Sydney, “for his role in promoting Belgian businesses in Australia”.
According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Australia is the 12th largest economy in the world. In 2022, Australia’s nominal GDP exceeded US$1.7 trillion. In terms of GDP per capita, Australia ranks 10th in the world with an estimated value of US$65,530 per person and is between Denmark and the Netherlands. Belgium is ranked 18th with $50,110 per person, according to the IMF. Australia is Belgium’s 36th customer in 2022 with 2.3 million euros in exports. While Australia is Belgium’s 41st supplier with 1.6 billion euros of imports in 2022. Belgian exports are more than 43% in the chemical sector, followed by machinery and equipment (19% ), then in food (8%). Conversely, Australia mainly supplies Belgium with fresh produce and vegetables (48%), minerals (37%) and chemicals (4%).
Nicolas Fontaine Editor-in-chief
Nicolas Fontaine has been an independent web editor since 2014. After having been a copywriter and author for numerous Belgian and French brands and media, he specialized in royal news. Nicolas is today editor-in-chief of Histoires royales. [email protected]
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